Grain door for elevators



P 1929- w. A.,BLAKELY 1,728,851

GRAIN DOOR FOR ELEVATORS Filed Feb. 23, 1928 Patented Sept. 17, 1929 H UNITED STATES WILBUR A. BLAKELY, OF GRANT CENTER, IOWA GRAIN noon r03 ELEVATORS Application filed February 23, 1928. Serial No. 256,451.

My invention relates to a door for an elevator floor opening, into which the grain from wagons or the like is dumped.

An object of m invention is to provide a door which may be opened while the grain truck is standing over the opening. In this regard, it may be noted that ordinarily it is necessary to drive the truck beyond the opening in the floor of the elevator to then swing the door open and then to back the truck until it projects over the opening. The or dinary door does not hinge back flat upon the floor sufficiently to allow the truck to travel entirely over the opening when the door is open. Additionally a one-piece door is very heavy and cumbersome to move.

It is therefore my object to provide a door which can be rolled up into a roll, starting at a position underneath the truck and terminating at the other extremity of the opening,

the door being formed in sections hinged together and adapted to roll up to form a roll which will return to position spread out above the door opening by force of its own weight and the impetus of a starting push given to it by the foot of the operator.

A still further object of my invention is to provide such a rolling door arrangement, together with means for rolling the door, said means being operable from that end of the door opening opposite which the rolling commences.

Another object of my invention is to provide means for facilitating rolling of the sections under the pull of the actuating means.

Another object is to provide means for retaining the roll in position disclosing the opening.

With these and other objects in view, my

4,0 invention consists in the construction, ar-

rangement and combination of the various parts of my device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and

illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

in which:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal, central, sectional view through an opening in an elevator floor and through adjacent portions of the floors with the door of my invention incorporated therewith and shown in closed position and with a portion of a gram truck ind cated briefly in broken lines.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, the truck j being omitted and the first section of the door 55 being folded back upon the second section.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, detail, sectional View through the first section.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, detail, sectional view through one of the intermediate sections.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of adjacent portions of two door sections embodying a slightly modified form of hinge.

I have used the reference character 10 to indicate generallyjthe floor of a grain elevator, supported upon joists 11, between which and between the cross joists 12, is formed the dump opening 13.

'A grain truck 14, having wheels 15, straddling theopening 18, is shown disposed partly over the opening.

The door comprises a plurality of sections of heavy plank, cut to fit the opening 13 and to rest against the edges of the joists 11 and 12. The first section is indicated by the reference character 16. The last section is indicated by the reference character 17 and the intermediate sections are numbered 18. Two strap hinges 18 are secured to each of the sections 16, 17 and 18, and at one end to the floor 10 adjacent the opening 18. Thus the sections are hinged to each other and the section 17 is hinged to the floor. It Willbe noted that the hinge axes are positioned in the planes of the upper surfaces of the door sections. This is in order that the sections may roll up with their lower faces disposed away from the center of the roll. I

The means for actuating the door comprises a rope orchain 19, which is secured as by means of an eye bolt 20 to the joist 12 beneath the door section 17. The rope 19 ex-' tends beneath the door, spaced equidistantly from the ends of the sections around the section 16 and thence over the door andback to the rear.

In actuating the door, the rope 19 is lifted to a position somewhat as indicated in full lines in Fig. 1, and the operator simply pulls rearwardly. By pulling at the proper angle 1 rearwardly and upwardly, the first section 16 will be lifted and flopped over upon the second section, as illustrated in Fig. 2. As the operator continues to pull, the two sections will be lifted, the first section swinging slightly away from the second section to engage the third section with its outer edge substantially in engagement therewith. lhe first two sections will then assume the positions indicated approximately in dotted lines at 21 in Fig. 1. As the operator continues to pull, the sections will. continue to roll up until finally the position shown approximately in dotted lines at 22 in Fig. 1 will be assumed. In this position, one of the sections will rest fiat against the floor 10 adjacent the opening 13 as shown. The center of gravity of the roll will then be positioned behind the hinge axis between the section 17 and the floor, al though very close to this axis. Normally the weight of the roll will be suflicient to retain it in this position. However, since the center of gravity of the roll is so near to the hinge axis between the door and the floor, a very slight push is sufiicient to overbalance it and, with the momentum thus acquired, the roll will travel back toward the position in which the door closes the opening 13. It will be noted that in traveling back to the closed position, the sections, when considered in the aggregate, are traveling down-hill. Since there is practically no friction in the hinge, the mo mentum of the roll will increase as it unwinds and when the position 21 has been reached, this momentum will be sufficient to flop the last two sections into place.

In View of the instabilitv of the roll in the position 22, I provide a latch 23, which is slidable through a bearing 24, secured to the floor so as to be interposed ahead of the section 17. This latch 23 will secure the roll against accidental closing while the grain is being dumped.

It may be noted that as the section 16 first moves upwardly under the pull of the rope 19, that the corners of the sections with which the cable engages must slide ahead of the cable. This is because the section moves away from its adjacent section below the level of the hinge.

In order to substantially eliminate the friction which would thereby occur between the cable and the section 16. I provide rollers 25, supported by brackets 26 and 27, respectively, secured in depressions formed in the corners of the section 16 near the center thereof Where the cable 19 engages the section.

The remainder of the sections are provided with anti-friction plates 28, providing smooth, rounded corners for the sections, allowing the line of engagement with the cable 19 It may now be noted that the door can be actuated entirely from. behind the truck while the latter is standing over the opening. In

order to actuate the door, it is simply necessary to pull upon the cable. When it is desired to return the door to its closed position, it is simply given a position with the foot of the operator.

Instead of the strap hinges 18 the sections may be hinged together by means of links 29, secured to screw eyes or the like 30' in the adjacent portions of the sections, all as disclosed in Fig. 5.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts of my inventi on without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims, any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents, which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination with the floor of a grain elevator, formed with a dump opening, a door comprising a plurality of parallel side sections, hinged side to side near the planes of their upper surfaces, the ends of said sections normally resting upon the floor at either side of said opening, one of the end sections being hinged to the floor at one extremity of the opening and a flexible element secured to the floor beneath said last mentioned section extending around the other end section and thence above the door, the sections being adapted to roll into a roll by pulling of said element from the free end of the door toward the other end thereof.

2. In combination with the floor of an elevator provided with a dump opening, a door for said opening comprising a plurality of door sections having parallel sides, said sections bein hinged together side to side near the planes of their upper surfaces, one of the end sections thereof being hinged to the floor at one extremity of the opening and the ends of said sections being adapted to rest normally upon the floor at the sides of the opening.

3. In combination with the floor of an elevator provided with a dump opening, a door for said opening comprising a plurality of door sections having parallel sides, said sections being hinged together side to side, one of the end sections thereof being hinged to the fioor at one extremity of the opening and the ends of said sections being adapted to rest normally upon the floor at the sides of the opening.

4. In combination with the floor of a grain elevator, formed with a dump opening, a door comprising a plurality of parallel side sections, hinged side to side, the ends of said sections normally resting upon the floor at either side of said opening, one of the end sections being hinged to the floor at one extremity of the opening and a cable secured to the floor beneath said last mentioned section extending around the other end section and thence above the door, the sections be: ing adapted to roll into aroll by pulling of said cable from the free end of the door toward the other end thereof. i

5. In combination with the floor of an ele vator provided with a dump opening, a door for said opening comprising a plurality of door sections having parallel sides, said sections being hinged together side to side, one of the end sections thereof being hinged to the floor at one extremity of the opening and the ends of said sections being adapted to restnormally upon the floor at the sides of the opening, and means engaging the free end section, said means being adapted tobe operated from a position near the other end of the door for pulling the free end section toward said other end.

6. In combination with the floor of an ele vator provided with a dump opening, a door for said opening comprising a plurality of door sections having parallel sides, said sections being hinged together side to side, one of the end sections thereof being hinged to the floor at one extremity of the opening and the ends of said sections being adapted to rest normally upon the floor at the sides of the opening, said sections being adapted to be rolled into a roll resting upon the floor adjacent the hinged end of the door.

7. In combination with the floor of an elevator provided with a dump opening, a door for said opening comprising a plurality of door sections having parallel sides, said sections being hinged together side to side, one of the end sections thereof being hinged to the floor at one extremity of the opening and the ends of said sections being adapted to rest normally upon the floor at the sides of the opening, said sections being adapted to be rolled into a roll resting upon the floor adjacent the hinged end of the door, and a latch device adapted to be interposed ahead of one of the sections to. prevent the roll from returning to position closing the door openm a. In combination with the floor of a grain elevator, formed with a dump opening, a door comprising a plurality of parallel side sections, hinged side to side, the ends of said sections normally resting upon the floor at either side of said opening, one of the end sections being hinged to the floor at one extremity of the opening and a cable secured to the floor beneath said last mentioned section extending around the other end section and thence above the door, the sections being adapted to roll into a roll by pulling of said cable from the free end of the door toward the other end thereof, the free end section being provided with anti-friction devices at its corners where it is engaged by the cable.

9. In combination withthe floor of a grain elevator, formed with a dump opening, a

door comprising aiplurality of parallel side sections, hinged side to side, the ends of said sections normally resting upon the floor at either side of said opening, one ofthe end sections being hinged to the floor at one extremity of the opening and a cable secured to the floor beneath'said last mentioned sec I tion extending around the other end section,

and thence above the door, the sections being adapted to roll into a roll by pulling of said cable from the free end of the door toward the other end thereof, the corners of the free end section where the latter is engaged by the cable being recessed and anti-friction rollers supported in said recesses.

Signed this 21st day of February, 1928, in

the county of Woodbury and State of Iowa.

WILBU R A. BLAKELY, 

